Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at the laying of the foundation stone of Metro Phase 3 in Pune, Maharashtra
Brothers and sisters who are present here today!
This is the fourth of all the events held in Maharashtra today. I was in Thane earlier in the day. Even there, projects worth thousands of crores of rupees have either been launched or their foundation stones have been laid. It included projects like housing for the poor as well as projects related to expansion of the metro rail. Just a few moments ago, I got the opportunity to lay the foundation stone of third phase of the Pune metro line being constructed at a cost of more than Rs. 8 thousand crores. This metro project connecting Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar will cater to this region which is one of the busiest IT centres of the country. The lives of the local population as well as the IT professionals who have come from different parts of Maharashtra and the country will be easier with this.
Friends,
I had got the opportunity to start the Pune metro project two years back. I am glad that the work on the two corridors has been progressing at a rapid pace. I am expecting that towards the end of the next year, the metro will start running on a 12 km long route in Pune.
Now the third phase has also been started from Shivajinagar. So, on the completion of this phase, people from four different corners of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad will be able to reach Hinjewadi IT Park easily and comfortably. I want to congratulate especially the professionals associated with the IT sector who are present here. All the projects that have been launched today are part of that broad vision of the central government as well as the government of Maharashtra that is centred round infrastructure and basic amenities.
You have been observing for the past four-four and a half years that the focus of the government is on infrastructure. Expanding and speeding up the work on connectivity i.e. highways, railways, airways, waterways and I-ways is going on at a rapid pace.
Friends,
If you travel from Kargil to Kanyakumari and Kutch to Kamrup, you will get to know the pace and scale at which the work has been going on. Everything is being possible not only because of the commitment of the government but also due to the aspirations and cooperation of the locals, the farmers, workers and professionals.
No one wants to remain untouched by development. No matter how much a person is economically and socially well off, no one wants to waste his time in the traffic. No one wants his crops, produce, milk or curd to be spoilt due to lack of connectivity. He wants to reduce the travel time of his kids to school so that the time could be utilized for studies and sports. The people don't want their office timings of 8-9 hours to extend to 12-13 hours due to traffic. They want to spend their time with family. They want to make right use of their time. This is the reason why the focus today is on the integration of the next generation infrastructure and transport sector from the village to the cities.
Friends,
With this notion, the central government along with the Devendra Fadnavis government is engaged in the work of strengthening the infrastructure of Maharashtra's Pune.
The Hinjewadi-shivajinagar metro line is special for another reason. This is the first project under the metro policy of India framed by the government for the development of metro. This is being developed under the PPP i.e. Public Private Partnership.
The metro rail policy framed by the government a year back depicts our determination towards the expansion of the metro in the country. The work of metro construction has been expedited after this policy came into being, because the rules and regulations have now become transparent.
Now the rules and regulations for the different agencies of the transport sector have been made uniform. This metro rail policy has been made reform-oriented. It is being ensured that along with the metro trains even the metro stations, feeder buses, new walk-ways and new pathways are also being developed. Now for the metro the work is being done under the single command system through the Unified Urban Transport Authority. This is not only helping us to know about the actual problems faced by the people but those issues are being addressed and minimized as well.
Brothers and sisters,
Today metro is turning into a lifeline for the cities of the country. During the last four years, the government has extended it to the dozens of cities in the country and many more cities will be connected to it in the near future.
During the last four years, 300 km of new lines have been commissioned and 200 km of new proposals have also been passed. As a result, there are more than 500 Km of metro lines currently operational in the country and more than 650 km of metro lines are about to be completed.
Even in Maharashtra, the central government together with the state government is constructing metro lines of more than 200 km.
Brothers and sisters,
It was the government of Atal ji that had given impetus to the work of expansion of metro rail in the country in true sense. The emphasis that was laid by Atal ji on the infrastructure of the cities and the villages, after 10 years our government today is increasing both the pace and scale of that work.
And I am not at all hesitant to say that if Atal ji's government had a little more time, then probably by now Mumbai and its adjacent areas as well as the other cities of Maharashtra would have been connected to Metro.
The work on the Delhi metro had started during the tenure of Atal ji's government. Today almost the entire city of Delhi is connected to the metro.
Friends,
During the tenure of the previous government, transport and infrastructure were not as much prioritized as these should have been.
Friends,
That is their line of thought while we want every corner of the country to be connected and have an equitable development. We are on a mission to create 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat'.
Well, let me remind you that from 2004 to 2018, there has been a change in the generation, a change in the line of thought as well as a change in the hopes and aspirations.
Brothers and sisters,
The central government's priority is to ensure ease of living and ease of doing business. This is the reason why 100 smart cities are being developed across the country.
In Maharashtra, 8 cities including Pune are being developed into smart cities. Under this mission, more than 5000 projects have been selected throughout the country.
More than Rs.2 lakh crores will be spent on these projects in the future. Projects worth Rs. 10 thousand crores have already been completed and 1700 projects worth Rs.53 thousand crores are being completed at a rapid pace.
Friends,
The work of about Rs.1500 crores have been completed for the 8 cities of Maharashtra including Pune under the smart city mission while projects worth approximately Rs.3500 crores are being completed at a rapid pace.
The Integrated Command and Control System of Pune has already been started. From here, all the systems of the city will be closely monitored.
Moreover, the work under the AMRUT mission is also going on for more than 41 cities at a rapid rate. Projects associated with basic amenities like roads, electricity, water supply and sewage worth approximately Rs.6 thousand crores will also be completed soon.
Besides, LED street lights are being installed to make the cities brighter and more beautiful as well as for better lighting with minimum electricity usage.
Almost 1 lakh street lights have already been installed in different cities of Maharashtra. It has saved electricity bill of several crores of rupees.
Friends,
The Digital India Campaign has been in operation at an unprecedented scale so as to increase the savings of the common man and to ensure their easy access to government services.
Today thousands of services from birth certificate to life certificate have now been made online.
Almost all the facilities from electricity, water bills to hospital appointments, banking transactions, pension, Provident Fund, admission, reservation etc. have been made online so as to cut the queues short and the likelihood of corruption is minimal.
Now Digi-locker will keep all your certificates safe. About 1.5 crore accounts have already been opened throughout the country.
Moreover, there will not be any need to carry the various documents including Driving License. One can use the soft copy or access it through Digi-Locker on mobile phone.
Brothers and sisters,
The government is trying to make rules and regulations according to the needs of our professionals, their routine and the new needs of our industries and the country. The rules are simple and also ensure ease and transparency.
Digital India and Make in India have boosted these efforts of the government. Today the most ordinary citizens have access to technology due to cheap mobile phones as well as cheap and speedy Internet.
Today the mobile phones have become cheap because India is now the second largest manufacturer of the mobile phones. About 125 mobile phone manufacturing units are currently operating across the country while four years ago there were only 2 such factories within the country. 4.5 lakh to 5 lakh youngsters are employed in these factories. This is going to expand further. India is going to become a major hub of electronics manufacturing including the mobile phones.
Friends,
Along with hardware, cheap and speedy data are being provided to every village and street. Optical Fibre Network has been taken to about 1 lakh 25 thousand Gram Panchayats throughout the country.
More than 3 Lakh Common Service Centres are operating in the villages. About 10 lakh youngsters are working there and providing online services.
More than 1.5 lakh Post Offices are becoming a medium of online banking and are also about to become centres of Home delivery service.
Free Wi-Fi facility is being provided to around 700 railway stations in the country.
Friends,
Digital transactions have increased 6 times since 2014. More than 50 crore Rupay debit cards have been distributed across the country. Just within the last two years there has been an unprecedented increase in the digital transactions through UPI, BHIM and other digital platforms.
Brothers and sisters,
Pune is also the centre of education, IT, engineering and business. It is the centre of knowledge and technology. This is going to be the face of New India.
The infrastructure required for the fourth industrial revolution is ready with us, and like thousands of young friends here, we have an army of innovative minds.
India is about to become a major center of cutting-edge technology through Startup India and Atal innovation Mission. India has become the second largest eco system in the world in terms of Start-ups. More than 14,000 startups have been recognised under the Startup India Mission in 500 districts of the country.
There was never a paucity of ideas in our country. There was a lack of direction and guidance or hand-holding. Now the government is working towards making Idea an industry.
A temperament for technology is being developed at a very young age. Atal Tinkering labs are being opened and Atal Incubation centres are being set up for start-ups throughout the country.
The country's future will be developed in these new centres of New India. The world's largest talent pool will be developed here. Pune, Maharashtra and all of you will be playing a crucial role in building the New India.
Once again, with this belief, I congratulate you all for the inception of the work of metro lines. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to you all for coming here in large numbers and showering your blessings on me.
Thanks a lot!